Margaret Alva shares a message that Koshyari got from her rival and ex-Bengal governor

Margaret Alva, the joint Opposition’s Vice Presidential candidate, on Saturday shared her opinion on the latest controversy over Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

While taking a jibe her opponent and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Alva said that while Koshyari’s comments on the Marathi-Gujarati issue were unfortunate, they were not unexpected.

Koshiyari has landed in a major soup for saying “Mumbai will have no money” if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were to leave the city forcing chief minister Eknath Shinde to say that he disagrees with the governor over the issue as the Opposition sought his apology.

Alva said Koshiyari got a message from the ex-governor of West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar, the BJP-led NDA’s pick for the Vice President. She said the message is controversy, foolish comments and operating like an extra-constitutional authority gets rewarded.

Dhankhar was mostly on bitter terms with the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government since the beginning of his tenure as the Bengal governor with the ruling camp seeking his removal on frequent occasions for his comments and deeds.

Meanwhile, the Opposition in Maharashtra has sought apology from Koshyari for his controversial statement made at a function to name a chowk (intersection) in suburban Andheri on Friday evening. The governor has said his comments have been misconstrued.

“I tell people here that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially from Mumbai and Thane, you will be left with no money and Mumbai will not be the financial capital,” the governor had said.